Star Wars: Saber Wing: Episode I
by CJVoisey-Adams
Summary: Set a couple of years before the events of The Force Awakens, a group of smugglers is drawn into the Resistance and their conflict with the First Order...
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the rights to Star Wars, its characters, situations and content. Those rights belong to their respective owners. This story has been created for the purpose of FAN FICTION ONLY and no profit is being made.

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

STAR WARS

SABER WING

Episode I

SHADOW STRIKE

The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire. Remaining hidden in the unknown expanse of the outer rim, they have built up their forces in relative secret. The Republic is blind, only General Leia Organa and her Resistance movement know the true threat The First Order poses to the galaxy.

Working with short supplies and with the constant danger of attack, the Resistance has been keeping an eye on The First Order's activities and plans to stop any offensive action before it starts. However, The First Order unleashes their own plans - a new type of Star Destroyer carrying a device capable of dealing a severe blow against freedom.

Utilising pirates and dubious traders of all kinds, the Resistance manages to stay supplied on the outskirts of the outer rim territories. Little do they know, this small band of renegades will soon play a pivotal role in the fight to save the galaxy from tyranny...

 _ **1**_

The darkness of space did nothing to hide the immense bulk of the Star Destroyer. The surface of the ship was broken up by sleek lines and jutting turbolaser turrets. The _Compellor,_ was named by the First Order after a similar ship, an interdictor cruiser from the age of the Galactic Empire. Its namesake had been hijacked and eventually destroyed by the Rebel Alliance in a series of actions, the objective of which was to steal a very special piece of technology. Gravity well projectors - these huge domes, set into the hull of the triangular-shaped ship were, in fact, very cunning devices. They could mimic the effect of planetary gravity and haul passing ships out of hyperspace, also they could be used to prevent vessels from making the jump to lightspeed, rendering escape impossible. Gravity well technology had not been utilised for many years and the days of the interdictor cruiser all but died out with the collapse of the Empire. Now, however, the sinister First Order had arisen and built many ships in secret, the _Compellor_ being one such vessel. Old technologies had been improved, perfected and given a new lease of life with the express purpose of bringing star systems and innocents to heal once more.

The bridge of the _Compellor_ was a hive of activity. Within the large room, with its angular edges and hard, shining surfaces, officers and crew worked at a steady pace. They went about tasks with the maximum amount of efficiency possible. The scene was not chaotic; it was robotic, mirroring the harsh, militaristic society the First Order hoped to spread throughout the galaxy.

An officer stood expectantly at the very front of the bridge, adjacent to one of the large viewing windows that looked out onto the field of stars beyond. This man wore the teal-coloured uniform of a senior officer in the First Order's navy. Around the cuff of his jacket, the rank designation of colonel could be clearly seen. Colonel Montross was the commander of the _Compellor_ and he knew it. He kept his ship and crew tightly under his iron will, there was no mutiny, no failure, only obedience and efficiency. The Colonel's grim-set features took on a glimmer of interest at a small round object in the far distant, beyond the protective glass of the observation window. It was the planet Taskilia, known to be home to a nest of Resistance fighters. Although the celestial body was too far away, even to strike at with his shining new Star Destroyer, Montross still let the corners of his mouth curl upwards slightly into a sneer. It was almost as if he could have reached out to the window in front of him and squashed the planet with a gloved finger, as if it were some offending insect.

Colonel Montross was brought out of his merciless thoughts of destruction when another officer approached him. This man, similarly attired, was lower in rank and slightly shorter in stature. 'Colonel, sir.' Major Rigell announced his presence from behind his commanding officer.

'Yes, what is it Major?' Montross asked, turning to eye his adjutant with a steely gaze.

'We have arrived at the specified coordinates and have picked up an incoming hyperspace trail.' The Major reported with an air of success.

'Good.' The Colonel said, suppressing a grin, 'Proceed with the test.'

'Yes sir.' The Major turned on his heal and gestured to a nearby Lieutenant with a simple nod.

'Sir.' The Lieutenant acknowledged, his gloved hands deftly activating several buttons and switches on the console in front of him. 'Bringing the generators online.'

Outside the _Compellor,_ the huge domes of the gravity well projectors started to hum and whine into action. Pulsating streams of light flashed over their metallic surfaces, cascading into the void beyond. Suddenly and with immense force, a bubble of energy burst outwards from the hull of the Star Destroyer, sweeping away from the ship and on into space for a long distance.

Points of light appeared and in an instant, three small ships sprang forth, as if from nothing, stretched and plucked from the realms of hyperspace and dumped onto the starry backdrop of space.

'What happened?!' The Captain of the first ship yelled, struggling to be heard over the cacophony of alarms and klaxons. He entered the crowded cockpit and jumped into the seat that was usually reserved for him.

'Something has dragged us out of hyperspace!' The co-pilot reported anxiously.

'Analyse all systems, I want...' The Captain's voice was abruptly drowned out as a loud amount of static and an authoritative tone forced its way over the comms channel. _'Resistance sympathisers! Lower your shields and prepare to be boarded! Your ships are to be impounded by order of Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order! Stand down at once!'_ The man on the other end of the comm-link was obviously not in the mood for trading pleasantries.

'The hell we will!' the Captain growled, not that anyone was listening on the other end of the comm.-link; the channel had been shut off with the expectation that the ship and her crew would instantly comply with orders and go quietly. 'Make the jump back to lightspeed!'

'The hyperdrive isn't responding!' the co-pilot replied, he had already attempted the operation. He tried again, just to satisfy himself that there hadn't been a minor fault the first time ...still nothing. 'It's not functioning!'

On the bridge of the _Compellor_ , Colonel Montross frowned as he looked down at the three small freighters, awaiting the First Order's justice. Major Rigell reported in from behind him, 'Colonel, they've dropped out of lightspeed. The gravity well is stable.'

'Have you sent the signal?' Montross asked.

'Yes, sir. They refuse to stand down.' Rigell did not seem concerned.

'They've had their chance.' Montross grinned, 'Launch fighters!'

The docking bay of the _Compellor_ sprang to life. Pilots and technicians had been waiting a long time for this moment and now, finally, the call to action was here. They worked fluidly and within mere moments, the _Compellor's_ full complement of TIE fighters had been launched, roaring out of their containment bays and out of the hangar via the huge magnetically shielded port. Orders came over each of the TIE fighters speakers, ' _Shadow group, you are free to engage the enemy!_ '

The First Order TIEs streaked toward their targets like shining angels of war, eager to deal out death to their enemies.

Lasers blasts buffeted the three small freighters. Their shields did not last long. The ships were all destroyed, exploding into space and scattering what little debris that was left into the void. There were no survivors...

As a mark of triumph, one squad of four TIEs performed a well-timed victory roll, happy with what they had done in the name of the First Order...

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	2. Chapter 2

**_2_**

On the surface of the nearby planet of Taskilia, its inhabitants were none-the-wiser as to what had happened. The huge collection of scanners and radar dishes that had been built for the purpose of detecting such an attack remained silent, jammed and unaware. Similarly, defence turrets sat unmoving and unmanned. All was quiet. The silence had been taken as solar interference or a momentary glitch in systems, whatever the reason, it was false and the inhabitants of Taskilia Base would have done well to be more vigilant and... more nervous.

Taskilia was a planet of very few merits, as were all the Resistance listening posts this far into the border of the outer rim territories. Its surface was made up of harsh sand and rock of a red-brown colour, the sky was a bright pink, there was nothing else remarkable about it. Nothing interesting – This suited the Resistance's needs, there would be little to tempt passing ships into taking a look at the planet, unless those ships were particularly taken with the subject of ancient volcanic rock.

From inside a tall viewing tower, looking out upon the Resistance listening outpost, General Sprax looked out at the planet with a certain amount of satisfaction. He was the only one there in fact, who held any kind of interest in the planet and then, it was only for its ability to hide their activities within its deep red valleys. Sprax was a relatively short man, but he held himself at a permanent state of attention which seemed to draw his height up into something more befitting for a man of his rank. He had been given the rank of General and posted out here in quick order. General Organa had been most impressed with his abilities, most notably in detection and secret operations. But something told Sprax that he must have upset someone along the way, as being posted out here on a small planet, quietly listening to the stars was not really what he had thought he would be doing as a General in the Resistance military. Still, it was a job to be done and General Sprax enjoyed a good day's work. Incidentally, today's work was about to begin...

'Freighters landing now, General.' An aide reported.

'Very well, notify Commander Trevin to assemble the crew captains here, I want a look at this lot.' Sprax replied. He was always intrigued by the assortment of smugglers and dubious traders the Resistance saw fit to thrust upon his base to resupply them. He had never addressed any of them directly and today, the temptation was great.

Six freighters of various sizes and shapes dropped slowly out of the pink void above the planet's surface and down to the Resistance listening outpost. Landing pads had been cleared and crews stood ready to offload and take stock of their latest shipment of supplies. All seemed friendly enough, the Resistance relied heavily upon these shipments and the crew of Taskilia Base were always eager to receive new items of use. However, security remained tight, on General Sprax's orders – There was no knowing when the First Order might try to infiltrate them. Soldiers were dotted about the landing area, assigned to each pad with weapons ready should anything seem amiss. Similarly, large defence turrets scanned the horizon and traced the course of the freighters' as they landed.

One of the freighters was a rather beat-up looking affair, seemingly cobbled together with parts of outdated corellian technology and some from various core worlds. The ship belched steam, flecks of oil and even a couple of worrying sparks as it settled onto the waiting landing pad. Mechanical clunks and whines announced its arrival as groups of Resistance crew and soldiers looked on. They all thought the ships they had to deal with in the Resistance were outdated and beat-up, but this smuggler vessel was something else entirely. The _Sliver Hound_ – a certain legendary smuggler would have said "She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." Engines were over-powered, weapons were over-powered. Every mechanical and electrical component was bursting at the seams, screaming and complaining as if the whole ship would fly apart at any moment. It didn't fly apart, of course, by some miracle the _Silver Hound_ stayed together through every frantic flight, every fire fight, race and shipment run. This miracle was mostly down to the freighter's two engineers. Their arguing could be heard even before the main hatch had opened. It was not meant in earnest however, Tripp Bixby and Thea Marzen had been in a rocky relationship for the best part of a year or two. _Rocky_ was the correct term to describe a romantic entanglement between two such fiery engineering types.

The first out of the ship, down the sloping belly-ramp was the _Silver Hound's_ captain, Layla Ozario. She was dark-skinned, with black hair, roughly tied back out of her face, a stray strand at the front blew in the wind that whistled through the valley where the landing area was situated. Ozario was as fiery as the two engineers who followed her down the ramp, still bickering. A modified blaster pistol swung in its holster at the Captain's hip, the two engineers were unarmed. It was obvious from her demeanour, Ozario was used to being prepared when entering any situation and _prepared_ meant carrying a blaster – a good one.

'Shut your mouths, you two!' Ozario shot over her shoulder at Tripp and Thea, 'we've got a job to do.'

Tripp and Thea gave a couple more murmurs of unrest under their breaths, but then fell silent so as not to annoy their Captain further.

Ozario proceeded down the ramp a little way and stopped when a uniformed Resistance officer approached, his rank pin designated him a commander. 'Captain, the General would like a word, if you'd like to follow me.' He said in a friendly tone.

Commander Trevin stopped when the Captain didn't follow him. 'General Sprax was most insistent, he wants to meet all the freighter captains.' He explained.

Ozario, who stood at the bottom of the ship's ramp, cocked her head to one side in an enquiring manner – this guy was being very friendly and that made her uneasy. 'I didn't realise we had a fans.' She said with a wry smile.

Trevin smiled back, not sure how to take her words and then gestured down the runway to the viewing tower.

Ozario made to follow the commander, but called over her shoulder up the ramp. 'Virgain, where are you with that stock list?'

Virgain Pelentis, the _Silver Hound's_ co-pilot hurried down the ramp with a computer tablet. 'Just making last minute checks, we still don't know what half this stuff is, Captain!' he objected.

'It's what it always is, weapons.' Ozario replied simply. She called back again as they walked away, following Commander Trevin. 'No more arguing whilst we're away, kiss and make up!' She was, of course, referring to her bickering engineers who proceeded to watch her walk away and then resumed arguing.

'It wasn't my fault!'

'Yes it was!' And so they continued.

As Ozario and Virgain moved further away from the _Silver Hound_ , there came a series of frantic whoops and beeps from behind them, they turned to see a copper coloured droid approaching them. The B-B unit rolled towards them at speed, uttering its flurry of queries in electronic tones.

'No.' Ozario said sharply, not to the droid, but to Virgain. 'Your ball stays here, I don't want to be tripping up on it!'

Virgain looked slightly put-out, he turned to the B-B unit and said in a rather sympathetic tone, 'Rusty, stay with the ship, look after Tripp and Thea.' This last order was meant to give the droid a sense that he would be doing something important and not just being left out of all the fun.

Rusty, obviously named after his copper coloured outer shell, let out a resigned ' _Boop-boop'_ and rolled off back to the _Silver Hound_ , not without looking back at his friend and master a couple of times on the way.

Carrying on down the length of the runway, Ozario and Virgain noticed other freighter captains being led towards the control tower. The _Silver Hound_ and her crew had worked in conjunction with some of these individuals before, when the shipments they were making required more than one craft or specialist equipment. Ozario noticed the figure of Buck, a barrel-chested, gruff smuggler who only usually worked for himself – obviously he had fallen on hard times or jobs he could do on his own were in short supply. Buck eyed Ozario suspiciously from the other side of the runway when he noticed her. The two smugglers had only met on a couple of occasions, but they had never got along. There was another lone freighter captain of an alien species she did not recognise, a couple of human captains, one female and one male and finally a crew of three aliens, local to the outer rim who seemed to be arguing with their captain before he departed with a rather impatient Resistance Lieutenant. 'Not everyone is here.' Ozario whispered to Virgain in a tone marked with concern.

'No, I had noticed. Perhaps the rest stopped off somewhere?' Virgain replied, offering a possible reason for the other smugglers' tardiness.

'That's not like them.' Ozario frowned, 'The ones I know, Jek and Barzano would never be late for a shipment, they would want to be paid first.'

Virgain said nothing, he merely mirrored his Captain's frown.

'Just up here, please.' Commander Trevin directed them through a doorway and up a series of stairways that led up to the top of the tower, where no doubt, they would meet this General Sprax.

At the top of the control tower, the various freighter captains were filed in one at a time where they stood in a group at an open end of the room that served as a briefing area. There was a table in the centre with chairs, though they were not invited to sit down. The smuggler known as Buck was the only one who took the opportunity to jump on hospitality and seat himself at one end of the table. He leant back in his chair and rested his booted feet on the table, grinning smugly at the others. One of the alien captains uttered a remark in an unknown language.

Ozario was the only captain to have brought her co-pilot with her, all the others were alone. She noticed this absence amongst the others and realised that maybe it was because she secretly relied upon Virgain more than she would let on. Layla Ozario was not one to make friends easily; she preferred not to, her profession didn't usually allow casual friendships - that often led to danger and bad decisions. But, she mused, Virgain, Tripp and Thea were probably the closest she had to what one could call friends.

'Hey buddy!' Buck said to a nearby member of the Resistance who had his back turned. 'You got anything to drink in this hole?'

The figure turned, it was General Sprax. 'No, _buddy_ , I do not.' The General said, frowning. 'Be so good as to get out of my chair.'

Buck frowned back as if he were about to put up a fight.

'Might I remind you who is paying you for this job!' The General continued, pressing him.

Buck fairly leapt out of the chair and joined the others, grinning awkwardly.

Ozario rolled her eyes.

'Welcome to Taskilia Base.' The Resistance officer announced, 'I am General Sprax. I'd like to thank you personally for your latest shipment of arms. There is, however, a problem.'

All the smugglers looked questioningly in his direction, some with thoughts of worry over the size of their payment. Most of them had guessed what it was Sprax was going to complain about.

'There are only two thirds of you here. What happened to the rest?' Sprax waited somewhat impatiently for an answer.

Buck shrugged absently.

One of the alien pilots twittered slightly under his breath.

Ozario was the only one to offer any explanation, forceful though it was. 'They haven't arrived with us. Perhaps they stopped off somewhere. We are here though and _we_ expect to be paid for our work.'

The General smiled, he tried not to look threatened. 'Of course, Captain, of course you shall be paid. I was just wondering if any of you could shed any light on the subject, it's just I find it highly unlikely that people in a trade such as yourselves would not want to show up to receive payment, that is all.' He looked Ozario in the eye, studying her, trying to see if she knew any more than she was saying. There was nothing, she appeared to be telling the truth. He pondered for a moment what a smuggler's life might be like, but the thought made him shudder inside, it would be far too chaotic and disorganised for his liking.

Outside, the _Silver Hound_ had settled properly onto the landing pad and was no longer belching steam about the place. Tripp sat on one of the crates they had unloaded, eating a bar of rations, chewing loudly. The Captain had not yet returned and he was not altogether happy about unloading all of the shipment until he knew she was safe. The Resistance had never turned on them before, but he was not about to start trusting implicitly just yet. Rusty rolled up to him chirping and beeping questioningly.

'No sign of them yet. They'll be back soon.' Tripp reassured the droid.

'Are you going to sit around all day, or are you going to help me?' Thea called from the loading ramp. The heavy lifting trolley she had been using had broken down again. Hitting it with the wrench she had in her hand, the ancient piece of machinery sprang back into life after a couple of audible electronic complaints.

'Don't you think we should wait for the Captain and Virgain to get back first? Y'know, make sure they're safe and we're getting paid?' Tripp suggested.

'I don't know.' Thea replied, 'What I do know is _I_ am doing all the work again!'

Tripp grumbled, cast the remainder of his ration bar aside and went to help.

Back in the control tower, General Sprax had finished questioning and was pacing up and down silently. All the smugglers were starting to get impatient. Commander Trevin approached the General with a computer tablet, he passed it to him and the General signed something off with an electronic stylus.

'What are we waiting for?' Ozario whispered to Virgain.

'He's just making us wait for our money, I know the type.' Virgain replied quietly.

'Wish he'd just get on with it, or I'm gonna...' Ozario stopped mid-whisper as the General looked up momentarily in her direction. He was not looking at her however, but past her, at a figure who had entered the room.

'All the shipment is accounted for, General.' The figure reported.

'Thank you, Major.' Sprax said. He proceeded to smile widely, making the smugglers feel even more uneasy. 'These ladies and gentlemen need paying.'

'Payment is being moved out to the freighters now.' The Major said.

The General had obviously been waiting for the shipment to be checked thoroughly before he would part with any money. Ozario mused that a man in his position would have to be no more trusting than herself, but that didn't make her feel any less irritated.

'Major, please show the captains out.' Sprax ordered, dismissing them, 'The Resistance thanks you all for your service.' He added, smiling again.

Ozario, Virgain and the others were directed out of the control room and back towards the stairwell.

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	3. Chapter 3

_**3**_

On the runway of Taskilia Base, members of Resistance crew were using heavy lifters to transport crates of whatever payment the various smugglers had requested for their work to their respective ships. Smuggler crews were eager to get their money onboard and be on their way. None of them liked hanging around after a job was complete. Tripp and Thea watched as the lifter with their money moved towards them. They both smiled at each other in unison.

Suddenly a noise from out beyond the valley made them stop and turn their heads. The hills of the valley screened whatever was making the sound. It was like a roaring of sorts and it was getting louder. 'Is that the others?' Thea asked Tripp.

Tripp looked worried, it certainly didn't sound like any freighter engine he had ever heard before...

Below the control tower, the smuggler captains, led by the Resistance Major all heard the sound too. They looked to the skies, but saw nothing. About them, Resistance crew and soldiers stopped their work and joined the others in looking upwards, nervously.

Inside the control tower, General Sprax was pre-occupied with reading through several reports that had been handed to him as he sat in his chair at the briefing table. Commander Trevin was the only one who had noticed something amiss. And in an instant his suspicions were confirmed...

Three TIE fighters roared over the masking hills of the valley to the left of the base and shot over the runway and control tower. No shots were fired, they were merely scouting ahead of the main group.

'General, look!' Trevin yelled across to Sprax, but the General was already on his feet, having been shaken out of his seat at the force of the low-flying fighters.

General Sprax said nothing. He was in shock, staring towards the viewing window as he dropped the computer tablet he had been reading absently to the table top.

Commander Trevin turned back towards the window, out beyond the base. Two squads of four First Order TIE fighters were heading straight towards the base on a level course that would take them down the length of the runway. Trevin leapt to a microphone and announced into the loud speaker, 'This is a base alert! All personnel prepare for attack! Arm...' These were all the words he managed to speak. Several explosions had rocked the runway and base structures as the TIEs approached, their main target being the control tower...

The viewing window shattered as laser blasts from the TIE fighters scythed through the tower. Consoles and walls exploded, showering debris backwards. All the occupants of the control tower, including General Sprax and Commander Trevin were killed instantly.

Outside, the control tower began to crumble, the top half crashed to the ground, only meters away from where Ozario and Virgain took cover behind a nearby speeder. The Major and the other smuggler captains were with them, darting their eyes about at the scene. More TIE's sped overhead, the distinctive roar of their engines mingling with the sound of explosions. Everything was in a state of chaos, the base had been caught completely by surprise.

'Where did these guys come from?!' Buck yelled over the deafening cacophony about them.

'Who cares!' Ozario shouted in reply, 'We've got to get out of here!'

One of the aliens, the species Ozario did not recognise, murmured something too quiet to hear, in a language she did not understand.

More laser blasts rocked the runway as squad upon squad of TIE fighters began bombarding the seemingly caged members of the Resistance. Defence turrets were too late to react, they were destroyed as they swivelled around to return fire. Flying debris and fiery explosions were everywhere. Several Resistance pilots could be seen scrambling to get to their X-wing starfighters, though the craft were either destroyed on the ground, or as they made a clumsy takeoff. The wreckage of their ill-fated attempts littered the runway. The base totally lacked any form of defence.

'What about our payment?!' Buck yelled, seeing that the crates of money waiting alongside his and the others' ships had been abandoned. The soldiers guarding the crates had long since given up their task of security and had started aiming their weapons into the air, trying in vain to bring down some of the assaulting fighters.

'You want your money?' Ozario mocked, 'Go get it!'

Buck growled from behind the rear of the speeder he was hiding behind. The argumentative smuggler took one last look out at the scene of devastation to see his money go up in flames. The explosion narrowly missed his freighter, making his heart jump into his mouth. 'My ship! My ship!' he gasped to himself.

'What do we do now, Major?' Virgain asked the Resistance officer who had accompanied them.

'We have to evacuate the base, save as many people as we can!' The Major yelled back.

'You got a name, Major?' Ozario asked, taking cover from more incoming fire.

'Bhyden, Major Briss Bhyden.' He replied.

'Well, Major Bhyden, I think your people already have the idea!' Ozario pointed a finger towards a couple of transports that had already started to take off via the main hangar adjacent to the runway. Turrets on the ships opened fire as they started their ascent, tearing up at least two TIE fighters unlucky enough to fly into their rain of fire. The transports escaped into the upper atmosphere at speed, flanked by two X-wings, also lucky enough to get away.

'Let's go!' One of the male smugglers yelled.

'It's hell out there! You'll never make it!' Ozario shot back, trying to discourage any foolish moves, but it was to no avail.

The female smuggler agreed, shouting 'We've got to take off!'

The outer rim alien uttered a similar remark in a harsh twittering.

They, along with the male smuggler all ran from cover and started toward their respective ships. The alien disappeared as a nearby explosion consumed him. His two crew members had armed the turrets on their sleek-lined freighter and were in the process of returning fire. However, they too were killed as their ship was hit and ignited in a huge ball of flame that scattered yet more debris across the wrecked runway.

The man made it to his ship, but failed to take off, his engines had taken damage. The mechanical force of kicking them into action was simply too much for the ship, it exploded from within, leaving only a crater behind.

The female smuggler, who's ship was located at the far end of the runway was very close to making it. She had taken cover behind some crates not far from her vessel, but now she stopped and levelled the blaster rifle she'd had with her at something ahead. Ozario and the others could just about see what it was through the smoke and flames about them. Landing craft, grey and swift were making their way down to the surface. The compact ships dropped from the sky in a precision manoeuvre that would land them at the end of the runway, each ship, Ozario knew would be packed with First Order stormtroopers, ready for battle. She swore under her breath. This was getting bad... It was already bad, this was getting worse!

'Major! Major! What do we do?!' A Resistance pilot yelled as he and a fellow pilot joined them in cover. 'Our fighters are gone, they've been destroyed!'

'We move!' Major Bhyden said over yet another scream of laser blasts, 'We move, _now!_ '

Ozario turned to object, 'Are you crazy?! Can you see what's happening out there?!'

It was too late, Major Bhyden, the two Resistance pilots, Buck and the quietly spoken alien had all left cover and were starting to make their way at speed to another likely form of cover further down the runway. Ozario and Virgain had been left behind.

'Captain, are we staying or going?!' Virgain asked the inevitable as he saw the others disappearing down the cratered runway. Ozario seemed to be in a daze, she had already made her decision though, having spied the _Silver Hound_ , looking exceedingly vulnerable and all-too-far away.

'Layla?!' Virgain broke her out of her reverie by using her first name, something which he, or anyone else very rarely did.

Ozario unholstered her blaster pistol and broke cover, running to catch up with the Major and the others. Virgain followed, taking up a rifle from a fallen Resistance soldier half way.

Joining Major Bhyden, the two pilots, the alien and Buck behind the wreckage of a downed X-Wing, Ozario and Virgain looked out on the scene before them. They were about a quarter of the way down the runway now and there was a lot more ground to cover before they got to the relative safety of the _Silver Hound_.

'Well, we've moved Major.' Ozario said, 'What do you suggest we do now?!'

Major Bhyden looked over the wrecked nose cone of the fallen fighter, his greying hair blew in the wind that wafted the smoke about them. He spotted several squads of white-clad soldiers moving rapidly out of the now settled landing craft – Stormtroopers. 'We need a ship.' He said, then un-holstering a pistol from the body of a dead comrade beside them, he smiled, 'Your ship to be precise.'

The Major's voice was tinged with the harsh accent of some of the core worlds, but it was somehow smoother, more controlled. Ozario should have liked his willingness to dive into action, but the idea of taking on passengers did not amuse her.

'What?' She said, 'We can't take all of you!'

'You can, Captain.' The Major replied firmly, 'And you will.'

'The Major's right Layla, we have to take them with us, we can't leave them here!' Virgain protested.

'It's _Captain_ to you, Virgain!' Ozario spat, annoyed at yet another usage of her first name.

The heated exchange was broken up by Buck, who yelled 'To hell with this! If I'm going, I'm taking my _own_ ship!' He made to run from cover and pass horizontally across the runway to his freighter, waiting tantalizingly close and, as yet, unmolested. He had his blaster pistol in-hand and was ready to go when suddenly, a low-flying TIE fighter that had obviously been struck by a laser blast from the defenders, spiralled out of control and crashed into his precious ship, destroying it in a cloud of flame and twisted metal.

Buck gaped at the destruction of his vessel, it had taken years for him to build it up to the well-polished state it had been in moments before. Now it was gone in an instant.

Ozario could hardly mask the smirk that appeared across her face at Buck's misfortune.

'Captain, if you're ready?' Major Bhyden asked, almost casually.

Ozario gave him a stern nod. This, she knew was not going to be easy, they would be very tempting targets for the fast-approaching stormtroopers and sitting ducks for the TIEs strafing the runway, but they had to try.

'Ok,' The Major said, grinning smoothly and making ready to move, 'Let's go.'

The runway seemed louder and more confused now they were all out in the open, the group broke into a run, Ozario and Major Bhyden leading the way, flanked by the others. A group of TIE fighters roared over their heads, all of them looked back to see them bank around and come up behind them for a strafing run. 'Major, when this is over, remind me we need to discuss bonus pay!' Ozario joked wryly.

Lasers blasts from the pursuing TIEs ripped up the runway behind them, the resulting explosions sent chunks of earth, rock and metal shooting high into the air.

'...And hazard pay!' Ozario added.

'Keep going!' Was all Bhyden could yell in reply.

The TIE fighters over-shot them having missed their mark, but they all knew they would be back for more. The group were now over halfway down the runway and nearing their mark. The few Resistance soldiers and base crew who were left were engaged in a fire fight with the newly landed First Order stormtroopers, mainly on their left, the right hand side of the runway, alongside the main hangar bay was relatively quiet. Most of this side was a mass of debris and there were many fires burning. The entrance to the main hangar had partially collapsed, thanks to the constant bombardment of the TIE fighters. There was now no room for anything to exit the bay, though nothing really could anymore. Taking a brief look inside as they passed, Bhyden could see nothing but flames, it was highly unlikely any ships would have survived such an inferno, let alone any personnel. And so, they pressed on down the runway...

'Ozario! Ozario, wait! I have a question!' Buck yelled from behind the fleeing Captain.

'I really don't think this is the time, Buck!' Ozario replied, trying to shut him up.

'I was just wondering...if...if... you might have a... a...spare place for me?' Buck asked awkwardly as he ran, out of breath.

Ozario laughed, which seemed absurd in their current situation, but laugh she did. 'Why?' she said, 'You think I'm going to shut the door on you?'

'Well... maybe... I dunno... Just got the impression you don't like me all that much!'

'It's not that I don't like you, Buck...' Ozario said between running breaths, '...I _hate_ you, there's a difference!'

The TIEs were back! This time the assaulting group of starfighters came from in front of them. Two of the four approaching ships had distinctive turrets slung under their main body, these now swivelled in the direction of the ground and began firing mercilessly, raining destruction down on a group of Resistance soldiers still holding out against the stormtroopers. The TIEs then began to fire in the direction of Bhyden, Ozario and the others, who were still running towards the _Silver Hound_ , hearts pounding, lungs bursting. The ground around them exploded into the air as the fighters roared over their heads yet again. One last explosion sent Virgain and the alien smuggler flying into the air and landing heavily on the ground, their weapons dropping beside them.

Ozario shouted in alarm and the whole group diverted their run to where the two lay. They stopped to catch their breath and investigate. Virgain was already sitting up when they reached him, dashing through a cloud of dust, the alien seemed more stunned. 'Virgain! Are you alright?' Ozario asked, concerned for the health of her co-pilot.

Virgain looked at her from his awkward sitting position. 'Layla? Yeah, yeah I'm fine...I think.'

Ozario gave him a once-over before helping him to his feet. He seemed alright. 'Good. Stop calling me that!' she admonished him.

Virgain, in his dazed state, didn't even realise he had used her first name again, why did she hate it so much?

Major Bhyden and the two Resistance pilots were helping the alien sit up and come-to.

'Stormtroopers!' Buck yelled suddenly and fired his heavy blaster pistol off through the cloud of dust, missing his target. His second shot hit the mark.

'See to him.' Bhyden said to the two pilots as he joined Buck, Ozario and Virgain in repulsing the advance of the group of white-clad troopers.

An exchange of blaster fire took place from behind cover and eventually, the stormtroopers were suppressed enough that the group could continue their run. The two pilots had hauled the alien smuggler onto the spindly appendages that served as his legs and held him between them. Once again they were ready to move.

'Go!' Ozario yelled, and broke cover immediately. The _Silver Hound_ was very close now and she wanted to be the first there, if only to be the first to see her intact and ready to fly. As they passed the wreckage of one last ship, mangled beyond recognition in the centre of the runway, her hopes were fulfilled, there was the _Hound_ , still sitting on the landing pad, the last ship remaining.

As they approached at speed, the situation appeared dire. Tripp and Thea had been saddled with the seemingly impossible task of holding back wave upon wave of advancing stormtroopers, the numbers of whom were too many to count. The two engineers were holding their own though, popping up from behind the idle shipment crates and taking extremely accurate pot-shots at them, hitting their targets almost every time. Tripp had even broken into one of the crates and had setup a heavy blaster cannon, one of the items meant for the Resistance. He fired several shots into a group of troopers, creating large explosions that sent a few of them spiralling backwards into the air.

'Tripp! Thea!' Ozario shouted as the group finally drew level with their destination.

'Captain!' Tripp gasped, 'Never thought you'd make it!'

'I never doubted you for a second!' Thea cut in as she took another shot with her blaster rifle.

At the sound of familiar voices, Rusty appeared, rolling hurriedly down the waiting ramp that led into the belly of the ship. He beeped furiously as a couple of lasers blasts narrowly missed him and struck the hull. More beeping from the droid indicated he had got the ship ready for takeoff a long time ago and he was somewhat anxious to leave.

'Alright, ball!' Ozario shot across to Rusty, 'We're coming we're coming!'

'Get the auto-turrets going Rusty! Cover us!' Virgain called to his droid.

Rusty complied with his master's orders and rolled back into the ship, this was obviously no time to argue.

The last to join the group under the belly of the _Silver Hound_ were the two pilots, carrying the alien between them, his long arms spread over their shoulders. He was barely able to walk and slowed their progress.

A chance shot from a stormtrooper glanced the male pilot across the shoulder, he let out a cry of pain, tripped and fell to his knees. 'Help!' his female counterpart called across to the others. Virgain, now back to his old self, ran over and helped the young man to his feet, sending him over to the others, clutching his wounded shoulder. Virgain then proceeded to help the other pilot with the alien.

Ozario and all the others had joined Tripp and Thea in their defence as the wounded members of the group were herded onboard. First, the alien who seemed barely conscious, staggered onboard helped by the female pilot. The male pilot followed, still cradling his wounded shoulder with his hand. He was urged up the ramp by Virgain, who then ran down the ramp, rifle in hand, shooting towards the white figures across the runway.

'Captain, we have to go!' Virgain said as he reached Ozario's side.

Ozario nodded in reply. There was nothing more they could do here.

As ordered, Rusty had activated the ship's secret auto-blasters. They sprang out of the belly of the ship and instantly targeted the stormtroopers, who due to the intense fire coming at them from the direction of the freighter, were finding it impossible to advance. More troopers were downed by this latest addition of firepower and this would give the remainder of the group time to get onboard.

'Get onboard!' Ozario ordered Virgain, 'Fire her up!'

Virgain wasted no time, he took one last shot with his blaster, turned and headed up the ramp, disappearing into the ship.

'Buck, get inside!' Ozario yelled across to the smuggler.

Buck looked somewhat surprised.

'Just go!' Ozario prompted angrily, 'Before I change my mind!'

Buck didn't hang around to find out, he made his way up the ramp as quickly as he could.

'Tripp, Thea, you're next! We'll hold them off! Go!' Ozario ordered the last of her crew onboard.

Tripp turned and caught Thea by the hand, he slung his blaster rifle over his shoulder with the other. The two ran to the ramp and were halfway up it when suddenly Thea appeared to stumble and fall, she made no sound. Her hand lost grip of Tripp's and flopped down beside her body on the ramp. She had taken a shot to the back.

'No!' Tripp yelled in anguish. 'Thea! No!'

Ozario saw Thea fall and rushed up the ramp. She and Tripp looked down at Thea's lifeless form. Tripp took the blaster rifle from his shoulder and gripped it with the force of a mad man. Tears streamed from his eyes as he let out a roar of inner pain. It took all of Ozario's strength to stop him, she dropped her pistol and took Tripp by both arms. 'Tripp, no! _No!_ Get Thea onboard. We _have_ to go!' she said, trying to stop him doing anything foolish.

Tripp said nothing, he looked up into his Captain's face with red eyes, anger mixing with intense grief. 'I never told her, not once...' he murmured over the blaster fire in the background, 'I never told her I loved her...'

Ozario could not find the words to stem Tripp's grief. She tried to help him carry Thea's body onboard the ship, but Tripp shrugged her off, choosing to perform the task himself.

Meanwhile, Major Bhyden was the only one left outside, he took a couple more shots towards the stormtroopers, backed-up by the _Silver Hound's_ auto-cannons. He turned and looked towards the freighter's Captain. For a moment, Ozario actually thought the Major would be crazy enough to stay behind. He was looking about now at the devastation, there was nothing left, no one visibly alive...

'Major! Let's go!' Ozario called to him.

He swiftly joined her on the ramp. As the two made their way into the ship and the ramp closed and sealed, the _Silver Hound_ took off from the ground, auto-cannons still blasting away, keeping them safe...

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	4. Chapter 4

_**4**_

The _Silver Hound_ lifted off from the ground and manoeuvred round to point at the pink sky above. The main engines whined for a worryingly long moment and then fired up, catapulting the ship at a shear angle, heading towards the upper atmosphere.

In the cockpit, Ozario had seated herself beside Virgain, her co-pilot. Major Bhyden joined her, gripping the back of the pilot's seat. Ozario was frowning, manipulating various controls, adjusting their ascent. 'Looks like we've got company.' She said, taking note of a screen adjacent to the pilot's controls.

Outside, three TIE fighters sped after the fleeing _Silver Hound_ , their engines roaring menacingly.

Inside the main crew area of the freighter, Tripp laid Thea's body on a bunk and had taken her hand in his. He sat motionless, in a daze. The female Resistance pilot tended to the half-unconscious alien and her fellow pilot, who was still suffering from the wound in his shoulder. She struggled to bind the injury as suddenly the ship was buffeted by laser blasts from outside. Buck steadied himself on a nearby table which, thankfully for him, was bolted to the floor, he continued on his course, rushing to the ship's cockpit. Rusty skidded around a corner, bleeping wildly at the sudden shifting in movement.

The cockpit was a mass of sound. Klaxons wailed, alerting the pilots to the offending blasts currently ricocheting off of their shields. 'Shields holding.' Virgain announced, 'But they won't last long if they keep pounding us like that!'

Another hail of green lasers smacked into the rear of the ship as Ozario turned to Major Bhyden. 'Arm the rear gun! Hold them off!' She yelled at him.

The Major was not used to taking orders from smugglers, he looked somewhat taken aback.

'My ship, my rules Major!' Ozario added.

'If you think there is a need?' Bhyden replied coolly.

'There is _every_ need, Major.' Virgain said from the co-pilot's seat, pressing him.

The Major left the cockpit, steadying himself on the door frame as there were yet more green flashes from outside. He moved towards the rear of the ship, realising that perhaps he was the best man for the job as everyone else seemed somewhat occupied.

Buck bustled past the Major as he rushed into the cockpit. 'W...Wait! Anything I can do?' he asked, offering his services.

Ozario swore under her breath as the ship was buffeted again. 'Buck, you and I both know you're useless, now get out of my cockpit!' she said, more than mildly annoyed at the presence of the bumbling smuggler.

Thoroughly dejected, Buck stormed off to find some place out-of-the-way.

'We're out of the atmosphere.' Virgain reported as blackness dotted with far away stars filled the cockpit window.

'Right!' Ozario said with a mark of triumph, 'Time to get out of here!'

'But where to?' Virgain asked.

'Anywhere but here!' Ozario replied simply. 'Making the jump to lightspeed.'

... _Nothing._ There was a slight whine from the _Silver Hound's_ hyperdrive, but that was all. No streaking stars, no acceleration, no lightspeed!

'What went wrong?' Ozario yelled across to Virgain.

'I don't know.' Virgain replied, examining various computer readouts, 'The hyperdrive is functioning. Something has stopped us from going to lightspeed!'

'What?!' Ozario was totally confused, but the moment did not last long as now, suddenly a new object, besides the twinkling stars could be seen looming closer in the view from the cockpit window... A Star Destroyer!

'Captain...' Virgain was about to point out the new arrival.

'I see it! I see it!' Ozario interrupted, irritated at their lack of luck. She manoeuvred the ship into evasive.

'I'm in.' Major Bhyden called through the headset microphone as he placed it on his head and seated himself behind the controls of the _Silver Hound's_ rear laser cannons. Through the small circular window, the three pursuing TIE fighters could be seen, struggling to keep pace with them.

' _When are you going to start shooting?!'_ Ozario's voice came over the intercom, very loud.

Bhyden winced at the sudden crackling reply as he tried to figure out the controls in front of him. They looked simple enough. He moved the cannons this way and that and then fired, testing out the weapon. Red blasts from the guns shot forth, tearing up one of the TIE fighters instantly, scattering debris into space. The Major grinned, happy with his lucky shot. The _Silver Hound's_ rear cannon, he surmised, had been severely overpowered, this had worked in his favour - the blasts had no problem in ripping through the TIE's meagre shields.

' _One down!'_ The Major's voice came over the intercom as Ozario led the _Silver Hound_ into another set of evasive manoeuvres.

The Star Destroyer loomed closer to the fleeing vessel. Alongside, wreckage from destroyed Resistance transports floated by, obviously having been destroyed with no way to escape.

'Looks like they didn't make it.' Ozario said, noting the debris as she used it for cover, swinging the ship from side to side. 'Just how good a shot are you, Major?' she enquired as the _Hound_ was rocked by yet more blasts from their pursuers.

'I'm working on it! I'm working on it!' The Major yelled back through the headset. He was starting to get irritated. Witnessing how their comrade had been destroyed, the remaining two TIE fighters had started to bank and roll to avoid further repercussions, making it very difficult for Bhyden to target them and unleash a clean shot. The fiery blasts from the rear gun missed their mark.

'Can _anyone_ back there take a look at the hyperdrive? Figure out what's going on?' Ozario yelled into the intercom that led to the crew area.

Tripp was consumed in grief, he held tightly to Thea's lifeless hand, not even acknowledging his Captain's calls for help.

The female pilot was still busy trying to revive the alien smuggler.

Rusty wriggled on the spot, although skilled in many of the ship's procedures, something this precise would be beyond him. Also it would involve him somehow getting down into the maintenance hole, something his ball-shaped design did not facilitate. He beeped and turned his singular optic to Buck.

The male pilot, his shoulder now safely bandaged, looked from Rusty to Buck, who sat reclined in a seat across the room from them.

'Sorry pal, I can't help you.' Buck said nonchalantly, hearing Ozario's panicked voice and noticing the pilot looking at him. 'Apparently, I'm _useless!_ ' He continued, mimicking Ozario's earlier words.

And so, it was up to the male Resistance pilot to remove the panel from the floor and duck down inside the ship's innards, in search of the apparent problem with the hyperdrive.

More lasers from behind rocked the ship. And now there were green blasts heading in their direction from the Star Destroyer, cutting off their route of escape.

'Shields are starting to fail!' Virgain warned.

'Dammit!' Ozario swore. 'Let's hope they don't have tractor beams!' She referred to the bulky First Order ship getting ever closer in front of them.

 _'Major!'_ The frantic call came over the headset as Bhyden struggled with the controls of the rear cannon. He chose not to reply as, he figured, his words would not be polite ones.

In the crew area, the male pilot popped his head up from the maintenance hatch in the floor, sweating and thoroughly inexperienced in the _Silver Hounds_ outdated and complicated machinery. 'A wrench! I need a wrench!' he shouted.

Buck rolled his eyes and remained seated, leaning back, with his arms rested behind his head.

'Oh, come on!' the pilot yelled at him.

Buck did nothing, perhaps trying to prove to them that he could have helped had Ozario been more forthcoming.

'Fine, I'll do it!' the female pilot said, annoyed. She moved away from the alien she had been helping, who promptly proceeded to loll to one side in his seat. Finding a discarded tool box, she started rummaging through its contents for the item her friend needed. Rusty rolled over to her, beeping frantically trying to indicate which tool was required for the job.

Ozario and Virgain were growing exceedingly worried in the cockpit. Major Bhyden was growing exceedingly irritated at the sensitive controls of the rear gun. The _Silver Hound_ was in a dire situation.

Perhaps it was the thought of proving Ozario wrong, or maybe the idea of spending any amount of time in a First Order detention cell was not appealing. Whatever the reason, Buck leapt from his seat and rushed over to the maintenance hole. 'Out of the way kids! I can fix this!' he said.

The male pilot heaved himself out of the hole and stood to one side. Buck took a handful of tools from the box and jumped down the maintenance hatchway. 'I have to rewire the hyperdrive a bit.' His words drifted up. 'Takes a while, but it should stop whatever they're doing.'

The two pilots and Rusty looked on, unsure whether or not the smuggler was being overly optimistic.

'Hyperdrive still isn't firing up. They're blocking it somehow.' Virgain said to Ozario from his seat beside her.

'What's going on back there?!' Ozario shouted over the intercom into the crew area again.

' _The smuggler... the big guy... he's working on it!_ ' The male pilot replied through the microphone.

'Buck!' Ozario cried through realisation that the man she had always distrusted was now tinkering with the very bowels of her ship. 'Buck, I swear, if you break my ship I'll...' The rest of her words were cut off by an explosion outside.

'We've got a problem!' Virgain interrupted. 'We're losing power!'

'Dammit!' Ozario swore again, then she turned her frustrations once again to the rear, ' _Major!'_

'Nothing I can do, Captain!' Bhyden called back through his headset, 'The gun's not functioning... no power!'

They were now defenceless...

Rusty let out a series of frantic beeps and rolled away, out of the crew area, heading down a corridor. He knew that he would not be able to help Buck with the hyperdrive, but there was something he could do to improve their situation...

The maintenance hatch on the exterior of the _Silver Hound_ slid open and Rusty emerged, propelled upwards by a small mechanical lift. He let out an alarmed ' _boop!'_ as he continued travelling up, away from the ship, drifting swiftly into space. His course was halted when suddenly, a piton, attached to a length of cable shot from his body and latched itself onto the hull of the speeding freighter. The B-B unit was now tethered to the ship, flying above it, precariously swinging to and fro. He let out an electronic cry as several laser blasts from behind came very close to striking him. Looking back, the droid could see the TIE fighters, still on their tail. More laser blasts, this time from in front. Rusty looked forward to see the huge triangular shape of the Star Destroyer, closer than ever. The _Silver Hound_ swerved this way and that, but even Rusty knew that it was only a matter of time until, without enough power, their shields would fail and they would either be captured by a tractor beam or blown to bits.

Another series of quiet electronic beeps seemed to calm the droid as he started reeling himself in, the cable growing shorter, bringing him back down to the hull of the ship. As he started to reach his goal, Rusty shot out another piton, and then another, whilst retracting the last. In this way, he was able to "walk" along the hull of the ship towards the damaged circuitry he so desperately needed to repair.

Reaching his destination, Rusty examined the damaged hull panel and the components beneath. The mechanical injury was superficial and could be easily dealt with. Various tools sprang from the droid, previously hidden by small, sleek panels on his copper-coloured body. The B-B unit began to work on the damage, all the while laser blasts flying past his tiny head.

'We need more power!' Major Bhyden called from his seat at the rear. He could see by looking out of the gunnery window that he was missing golden opportunities to strike back at the two pursuing TIE fighters.

'We know!' Ozario's irritated reply came as several lights and screens flickered, dying on the control panel in front of her. Much more of this and they would stop moving altogether.

Outside, Rusty gave a beep of triumph as he completed the repairs. The ship gave a huge mechanical whine and sped up, seemingly brought back to life. Pleased, if a droid could display such an emotion, Rusty shot out his pitons and made his way back to the hatchway and the safety of the ship's interior.

With the power restored, the _Silver Hound_ took on a new lease of life. Ozario and Virgain noticed the change and sprang into action, manoeuvring controls and flicking switches to bring the ship into a new set of evasive moves.

At the rear of the ship, the control panel for the cannons flickered and lit up. Surprised, Major Bhyden immediately took a pot-shot at the TIE fighters behind them. The lucky shot caught the TIEs off guard, severing the wing panel of one of them, sending it into a brief spin that ended in a collision with the other. Both fighters exploded dramatically.

' _Fighters are down!'_ The Major announced with a flourish over the microphone.

Ozario smiled, though it was brief, they still had the Star Destroyer to worry about.

Rusty rolled through the crew area and into the back of the cockpit. He bleeped several times, announcing his presence and the fact that he had been the one to restore power.

'You are one amazing, wonderful, fantastic ball, Rusty!' Ozario grinned, exercising the ship's new reserve of power by rolling it through hail of blasts flung at them from the First Order cruiser.

Rusty bleeped a reply that Ozario didn't quite understand, but made Virgain chuckle, despite their situation.

'Come on! _Come on!'_ Buck was yelling from down in the maintenance hole. Then suddenly, his tone changed to one of success. 'Yes! _Yes!'_ His head popped up, sweaty and covered in oily residue from his battle with the ship's insides. 'Yes, that's it! _Try it now!'_ He shouted through to the cockpit.

'Buck, you nerf-herding son-of-a...I'm warning you!' Ozario fumed.

 _'Just do it sweetheart, or we're history!'_ Buck's reply came over the intercom.

With everybody holding their breath, Ozario punched the hyperdrive control. The _Silver Hound_ gave another complaining whine. Then suddenly, mercifully, the ship leapt into lightspeed. The stars that once stood tranquil and still now shot past the cockpit window in a pleasing light show. By the skin of their teeth, they had escaped...

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	5. Chapter 5

_**5**_

Activity on the bridge of the _Compellor_ had died down since their assault on Taskilia. It did not please Colonel Montross that there was one ship that escaped. The occurrence did not cause him concern, as it was only a smuggler's freighter, not a ship packed with Resistance fighters. However, there was a nagging doubt at the back of his mind causing him annoyance. There was something about that ship he did not like. The Colonel tapped the computer tablet in his hand idly as Major Rigell approached.

'We have completed our search. There were no survivors, sir.'

'No survivors, except those aboard the freighter...' Montross corrected.

'Surely, smugglers are of little consequence?' Rigell suggested, trying to cool the Colonel's mounting anger.

Montross said nothing for a moment. He eyed his adjutant, the nagging doubt flaring in his mind once again. He turned his attention back to the computer tablet in his hand. 'The latest from base.' He said, indicating the contents of a message. 'They are pleased with what we have done here. General Hux has seen fit to promote me to Rear Admiral. I must admit, it came as a surprise, the operation after all, was not a total success.'

'The General knows the benefit of having good officers under his command.' Rigell congratulated, trying to avoid the subject of the escaped freighter once again.

'Indeed. Which is why he has also promoted you to Colonel, in my place.'

Rigell said nothing.

'You seem as surprised as I was.' Montross smirked for a fraction of a moment.

'I...I am, sir.' Rigell was expecting a reprimand, not a promotion.

Montross stepped up to the bridge viewing window, followed by Rigell. The two officers looked down on the planet of Taskilia, newly cleansed of the loathsome Resistance.

'Your father would have been proud.' Montross continued, in a slightly hushed tone. 'Some see you serving on this ship as ironic, I see it as providence, a chance to correct your father's failings.'

Rigell remained silent, choosing to appear unaffected.

Montross looked his adjutant in the face with his steely eyes. 'This is your chance, Rigell. After all these years of ridicule, you may now avenge your father and all those souls who failed as he did. Their ship fell into the hands of the Rebel scum, this ship, _this_ _Compellor_ shall be different. We shall teach the unruly masses that the Empire was right. What the First Order plans to do _will_ come to pass and _no one_ will stand in our way!'

Rigell, clearly stunned into silence by the mention of his family's history merely nodded, a gesture of acceptance at his commanding officer's words.

'I see the escape of the pirate freighter as an inconvenient oversight on your part. Don't turn oversight into failure... _Colonel_.' Montross added, menacingly.

'No, sir.' Was all Rigell could manage to say. Bitterness ravaged his thoughts, anger at what had happened to his father and the original ship to bear the name _Compellor_. Montross is right, he thought, this time things would be different. This time _they_ will pay.

The _Silver Hound_ continued on course through hyperspace. They had escaped the clutches of the First Order, but now no one knew where they would end up.

' _Useless_ am I?' Buck said with a smug grin as he stood wiping the oil from his hands with a rag.

Ozario said nothing, though even she had to silently concede that bringing Buck along for the ride was not such a bad idea. 'Thank you.' She murmured under her breath.

Buck smirked, sensing an opportunity, but was interrupted before he could comment by Major Bhyden who walked into the crew area from the cockpit. 'Everything seems fine. That was quite an escape, Captain.' He said in congratulation.

'With carting you lot around, I'm amazed we made it.' Ozario grumbled, 'I don't usually take passengers.'

Bhyden raised an eyebrow.

'Where is it we're heading Major?' Ozario enquired suspiciously.

'I have given instructions to your co-pilot, the system is not far away now.'

Ozario wasted no time in showing her annoyance. 'So we help you escape and now you drag us all over the galaxy to who knows where? Once we get to wherever we're going, I'm dropping you lot off and getting the hell away from the Resistance! You guys have caused me too much trouble as it is!'

The two Resistance pilots had been watching over the alien smuggler who lay, still unconscious, on a nearby bunk set into the wall. They turned now, prepared to defend the Resistance's ideals should an argument arise.

Everyone fell silent as Tripp entered the ship from the rear compartment and headed over to a seat away from the others. 'Only minor damage,' he murmured absently. 'Ship's fine.' He then proceeded to run his fingers through his hair and sit with his head in his hands.

Ozario approached Major Bhyden and lowered her voice. 'I lost a good crew member today.'

'And I am sorry for your loss,' Bhyden cut in with a harsh whisper, 'we have all lost people in our struggle.'

'That's just it, Major. This is _your_ struggle, not _ours_! Thea was my friend and you can see how it has affected Tripp.'

'I am sorry, I truly am.' The Major sounded sincere, 'But there is nothing I can do.'

'You can tell me where we are going.' Ozario pressed him, 'I think you owe us that much, especially if we are heading into another fight!'

Bhyden considered this for a moment. The Captain's request, he figured, was not an unreasonable one. After all, she and her crew had proved themselves capable. 'Our destination is the Yeota system.'

'Yeota?' Ozario echoed the name, 'There's nothing there.'

'That's just the point, Captain.' Bhyden smiled, 'There would be no real reason for the First Order to push that far into that part of the galaxy, not without first confirming our presence.'

'Another base. There's another base there, isn't there?' Ozario asked the obvious.

'Yes, the Resistance has a few listening posts and small bases such as the one on Taskilia. They are dotted around this region, hidden on worlds that suit our needs. Our discovery on Taskilia was... unfortunate.'

Ozario said nothing, she thought to herself that if she had been in charge of Taskilia Base, she would have had people let her know at the first sign that they would be discovered. But then, would such a plan work? Who knows what spies the First Order could plant amongst the Resistance ranks? Taskilia was a mistake, a costly one. _Unfortunate_ would not have been a word she would use to describe it.

'Yeota Three is home to one of our secret bases. I have been mainly working there until I was called to oversee minor operations on Taskilia under General Sprax. We have pressing business on Yeota Three, Captain...' Bhyden was interrupted by Rusty as the little droid rolled into the crew area and began beeping wildly.

Seconds later, the ship gave a jolt that threw everyone off balance. Ozario and Major Bhyden rushed to the cockpit, followed closely by Rusty.

'Virgain, what's going on?' Ozario enquired as they entered the cockpit.

'Something's wrong with the hyperdrive, Captain!' her co-pilot replied, 'It's overheating!'

Ozario immediately frowned in anger. ' _Buck!_ '

'We're losing power.' Virgain said.

Bhyden shot a question over Ozario's shoulder, 'Have we enough power to reach Yeota?'

Virgain quickly studied several computer readouts, 'I don't know - may be - we're almost there.'

Ozario slammed her fist into the side of the cockpit and stormed out.

'Buck! _Buck!_ What have you done to my ship?' Ozario was yelling as she entered the crew area. Everyone looked up, including Buck who had taken the opportunity to relax for a moment. He jumped out of his seat to protest. 'Now look here sweetheart!' he said.

Ozario strode up to Buck, ready to flatten him, but was held off by the two Resistance pilots who, thankfully, were on hand to break up any fights. 'Don't _sweetheart_ me Buck!' the Captain spat, 'You did this!'

'What I _did_ was save our skins!' Buck protested. 'The alterations I made may or may not have worked, I had to take that chance.'

'You took a chance with _my_ ship?'

'Yes. It was that or we'd be dead by now.'

'We could have exploded when we entered hyperspace, Buck, there could have been pieces of us in several systems by now, because of you!'

'Quicker than what the First Order would have done to us had they got a tractor beam lock!'

There was a moment of silence. It was broken by none other than the alien smuggler who awoke suddenly with a slightly muted exclamation in an unknown language. The female Resistance pilot let go of Ozario, leaving her friend to stay and break up any possible fights. She headed over to the alien and began reassuring him.

'Just what did you do?' Ozario was still fuming.

Buck backed away slightly. 'I rewired the hyperdrive and rebooted the system, started from scratch, with a few personal modifications.'

'What kind of modifications?'

'Fine, I gave it a bit of a boost, ok?'

'If you did what I think you did, then I'm right, you could have killed us all! Besides, how did you know what it was they were using to stop us?'

This question made Buck back further away. He slumped down in a seat and rubbed his head. 'Gravity well technology. That's what it is.' He sighed.

All eyes were on Buck, even Tripp took a vague interest from across the room.

'I've heard of this.' Major Bhyden cut in. 'Though I must admit, we didn't know the First Order was in the business of implementing it.'

'They weren't.' Buck said, 'Not until... not until I sold them the plans for it.'

The stunned silence in the room was palpable.

'You...what?' Ozario said quietly.

'It was eight years ago.' Buck explained, 'I got the plans from some abandoned Imperial outpost, they had obviously been missed by whoever shut the place down. I was scavenging for stuff to sell, so I took them. Not long after, some guy comes up to me in a bar and offers to buy the plans from me... somehow he knew I had them.'

'And you sold them to him... the First Order. Buck, why would you do such a thing?' Ozario's estimation of the rotund smuggler fell further than ever before.

'I didn't know he was part of that crazy regime!' Buck tried to defend himself, 'Besides, he was offering a lot of money... _a lot of money_... Even _you_ couldn't have refused.'

Ozario scoffed slightly, but Buck had a point.

'You can't blame me for this, I had no idea!' Buck said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Ozario appeared calmer now. She looked down at Buck with an icy glare.

Tripp frowned from the other side of the room.

Rusty let out a muted _'Boop'._

'It's alright, Buck.' Major Bhyden said after a pause, 'You didn't know the First Order had bought the plans from you. You didn't know they would be used in this way.'

'I'm surprised you take his side!' Ozario interrupted.

'If he was working for the First Order, surely all he had to do would have been to sabotage the ship. We would have been caught in a tractor beam and thrown in a cell before we could blink!'

Ozario hated to admit it to herself, but the Major was right. She chose to lean in close to Buck, looking him in the face. 'People died today because of you.' She said, 'If we don't make it to Yeota and the First Order catches up with us, there won't be anything left of you to lock in a cell...'

 **To be continued...**

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Please read and review! :D


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